Hospitality Industry Archives

Housed in the Massad Family Library Research Center, the Hospitality Industry Archives are the world’s largest repository for the hospitality industry, offering a telling glimpse into its history and growth.

Initially built in 1989 through a grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the space underwent a $1.5 million renovation in 2009 thanks to Nick (‘73) and Vicki Massad (Hon. ‘03) of Houston-based American Liberty Hospitality. The Massads’ donation was the largest gift ever presented to the College from a source other than the Hilton Foundation.

Designed by Brave Architecture, the 8,400-square-foot Massad Family Library Research Center and Hospitality Archives opened in February 2010. The Archives consist of more than 3,000 linear feet of a wide-ranging collection of corporate papers, historical documents, photographs, menus, film and memorabilia that attracts scholars, educators, hospitality-industry professionals and media outlets from around the world.

Some of the current major collections include papers and memorabilia from restaurateur Norman Brinker, Marriott International, Howard Johnson, Westin Hotels, Best Western International and the American Hotel & Lodging Association, along with several smaller collections from individual hospitality leaders.

News outlets such as the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, as well as historians, authors and scholars, all have relied on these Archives to provide a rich, thorough history of the industry. The Archives have contributed to books on hotel history, scholarly articles and news reports. Even producers of the Emmy-winning television show “Mad Men,” which is set in the 1960s, the Ron Howard movie “Rush” and the Steven Spielberg movie “Bridge of Spies” have turned to the College’s Archives for research.

Read more about the historical treasures found in our Hospitality Industy Archives in UH Magazine.